In Catskills, a Long, Slow Climb

By

Joseph De Avila

May 29, 2012 10:56 p.m. ET

SHANDAKEN, N.Y.—It was supposed to usher in a new age of tourism for the Catskills.

A sprawling set of resorts and an 18-hole golf course would appeal to a new generation of tourists with no memories of the region's Borscht Belt past. Forget about the one-liner comedians and variety shows: Young hikers and skiers would be lured instead by the...